Stacking My Abilities

There wasn\'t any business in [Alice\'s House of Wonders] at 3 PM.

Actually. This restaurant didn\'t have much business at any time. It\'s not losing money. But it\'s not gaining much either. Either way, Alice was happy to keep this place open.

Pulling the glass door open, Jeff cheerfully placed his umbrella into the umbrella rack.

His wish was finally coming true!

In Jeff\'s view, this fogged up world brightened up a little. Everything seemed nicer now! Life was good!

At this moment, Jeff felt a little energetic. \'Ohhh... It\'s going to be a good one!\'

Hearing the front door opening, a waitress girl behind the counter looked up.

"Hey Jeff. You are back." The waitress put down her phone.

"Hey Cindy." Jeff nodded with a big smile.

"Should I get Alice for you?" The waitress stood up.

"No. Not today." Jeff cheerfully took a seat. "I\'ll be the customer this time."

Jeff was not hungry. But he still had room for some snacks.

Cindy\'s cheek twitched a little. "Alright sir. What would you like."

"Can I get uh. A cheeseburger and small fries. And orange juice with ice please."

Cindy: "..."

They didn\'t serve that. Jeff was clearly trolling.

Ingredients of the old days were getting more and more rare nowadays. Mist foods were taking over as the staple foods now.

"I\'ll get the chef."

"Yes please."

A quick moment later, Alice came out with a plate in her hand.

Wearing a chef\'s uniform, with her hair tied into a bun, Alice looked crisp and clean. Walking forward with confidence, the girl emitted an aura of professionalism.

To a stranger, this young girl probably looked like a head chef who owned a restaurant chain.

"Hello Mr. Norman, it\'s good to see you again." Pretending to be a serious professional, Alice put the dish onto Jeff\'s table.

"It\'s good to be back." Jeff flicked his brows.

The waitress girl: ...

She looked like she really wanted to leave for some reason.

"We have for you, Freezing Flames Egg." Alice lifted the stainless-steel food cover.

On the plate, there was a decoration made out of branches. Small feathers were scattered here and there. It looked like a bird\'s nest.

At the center, there was a glass egg holder. Inside, there was a chicken egg with the top of its shell removed.

By the looks of it, this shell was filled with cream. On top, it\'s decorated with honey and flakes of chives.

"Eat it quick."

"Ok..." Jeff stabbed his spoon into this egg. Pulling out, liquid yolk mixed with the cream on his spoon.

Having a careful test bite.

Nom...

Tss... Hot. The egg yolk was actually hot.

Hot egg yolk mixed with the cold cream. It\'s a sensation like sitting by the hearth in winter. Or, jumping into a cold pool under the blazing summer sun.

Then, the flavors settled in.

The sweetness of honey, the zesty taste of lemon, the light and fluffiness of the cream. Felt like a lively spring breeze.

The saltiness of sea salt, the biting earthiness of black pepper, the savory after taste of the chives. For some reason, Jeff felt a strange feeling of wholesomeness and satisfaction.

Jeff scraped the last tiny bits into his spoon. Nom...

"That\'s it?" Jeff asked.

Even for an appetizer, the portion felt small.

"Well. How is it?" Alice asked in anticipation.

"The embodiment of perfection."

Alice seemed to be rather flattered by this compliment. "Wait one second."

Alice picked up the plate and went back to her kitchen.

"Alright." Jeff sat a little taller. Wearing a smile, Jeff anticipated his main course.

Alice quickly came back with a plate in her hand. Pulling the cover open...

It\'s another egg.

Jeff: ...

This time, it looked like a raw egg yolk sitting on cooked egg white.

"I present to you, Alice\'s wonder egg."

"Huh..." Jeff poked the egg yolk with his spoon. It jiggled around.

"Yep. Just break the yolk. And mix it. Have a try."

"Uhh. Alright?" Jeff stabbed his spoon into the yolk. It bursted. The yellow liquid flowed out.

Mixing it with the egg white. Not egg white. It\'s a thick and smooth cream.

Taking a bite. Jeff widened his eyes. This yolk is not a yolk!

The fruity flavors of oranges and peaches exploded in Jeff\'s mouth. The tingly sourness of lemon. The sweetness of cream. A rich taste and thick texture of the yogurt.

In a moment, all of these flavor mixed together into a sweet delight.

"Wow." Jeff raised his brows.

Alice looked rather proud of her work. "I saw this recipe online before. Now I\'ve got time, I finally get to try it out. How is it?"

"It\'s definitely surprising." Jeff quickly finished this snack. "And delicious."

"Gooood. The next time you try it, it\'ll be a different flavor." Alice winked.

"So two appetizers today. What\'s the entre? Is that also a surprise?"

"Well Mr. Norman, we\'ll need you to pay for the appetizers first."

"Alright. How much." Jeff confidently leaned back. Yep. He was pretty rich now.

"20,000 credits."

"Heeeh..." Jeff almost coughed. Converting to old day money, that\'s 2 million USD for 2 eggs.

"Seriously?" Jeff looked at Alice with raised brows.

"Seriously." Alice nodded, trying her best to keep up with her serious face. "Old-day ingredients aren\'t cheap nowadays you know. And you have eaten my newest off-the-menu dishes."

"Well, Mr. Norman, perhaps you should have asked for the price first. If you can\'t pay by credit, then you\'ll have to pay through services." Alice lifted Jeff\'s tie with her hand.

The two locked gazes. This room felt like it was heating up.

Behind the counter, the waitress stared at the door with a dead and blank gaze.

This girl looked like she was questioning why she was still here.

Grabbing onto Jeff\'s tie, Alice pulled this helpless customer into her domains.

3 days later...

It\'s still foggy and dark as usual. Standing at the front door of [Alice\'s House of Wonders], Jeff fixed his crisp suit a little.

The air was fresh and cold as usual. The light rain brought up an earthy smell into the air.

The morning folks greeted Jeff as they passed by. Jeff smiled and nodded in return.

Popping his umbrella open, Jeff walked into the crowded street.

Checking his inventories one last time, Jeff strode off into one direction.

Mission Start!